Which of the following lists distance indicators that are used to measure distances ranging from the very nearest to the very farthest?
A) Cepheids, parallax, main-sequence fitting, Type Ia supernovae
B) parallax, main-sequence fitting, Cepheids, Type Ia supernovae
C) parallax, main-sequence fitting, Type Ia supernovae, Cepheids
D) main-sequence fitting, parallax, Cepheids, Type Ia supernovae

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Parallax is used for measuring nearby distances (within a few hundred light-years), while main-sequence fitting is used for distances up to several thousand light-years. Cepheids are used for even larger distances, up to about 100 million light-years, and Type Ia supernovae are used for measuring distances up to billions of light-years away. The given answer choice correctly lists these indicators in order of increasing distance range.

Which of the Following Lists Distance Indicators That Are Used